The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1887-10-13
Especial Corrrspondcnce.i

Especial Correspondence.
HARRISBURG, Pa, Oct IA correct I'M
| Outstanding of the requirements of a calling
is to very few moro important than to the
aspilant for stcnographic honors Never be-
fore have many undertaken stcnography,
and the number is rapidly increasing 1t is
not the purpose of this article to discourage
any ono who honestly believes himself quail
fed for tic pursuit, but 10 show how dclusive
i Is the prevailing idea that few weeks or
months Of study will open sure, unob-
structel and delightful highway to fame and
| fortune, and to describe some Of the peculiar
trials and vexations incident to this most
arduous calling. Tho stcnosrapher has been
compared to Bunyans Pilgrim, standing at
first with book in hand, then cncountering
manifold troubles and dangers; and only he
who has experienced the cares and disappoint-
ments of stenographic work knows how apt
in tho comparison.
The use of stenogrnphy iii all branches Of
business has marvelousy spread in tho last
| few years, md it is now soon will be, tho
case that practical knowledge of the art
Will he u requisite qualification of the appli
cant for a clerkship. While this insures en-
| ployment of stenographers, it will ultimately
reduce the compensation of the specialist in
tho work and add to his duties In addition
to his regular stenographc services, no is
now required to perform other clerical work,
which is usually odds and ends left over by
the other clerks, or insignificant jobs that
cannot be assigned to any particular desk.
| This increases the labor of preparation, and,
| as it is done in the few odd moments when
not taking dctations Or transcrbins notes,
he cannot acquire by it such detailed knowl-
| edge of the business as will fit him to manage
inf 10, al
other than his stenographic ability. The I'M
happy result, therefore, is that the stenog-
rapher becomes a sort Of utility man, to be
| used for anything, when not transcribing
notes. 1t being difficult to determine his
exact station, whom he is under or over, he
! generally Genes to be ordered to do this or
! that by everybody; very painfully i'll the
manner Of an Office boy. A short time ago
| overheard al employer inquire of q steno-
| graphic applicant for position: "Havo you
| ever had any experience at wrapping up
PACKAGES" Surely the scope of the phonog-
raphers duties is extending with the spread
| of his art!
1t has been said that photography is
stepping stone to something higher True,
one may rise from something lower to it, and
it may obtain situations from which tho
stenographer. through influence secured
there. can advance. But reaching this higher
elevation requires square determination to
abandon stenography. This is hard to do.
The moro skillful no is the moro reluctant
will the employer be to part with him or
promote him to some other work. He secs
other clerks advanced for appreciated bust
ness ability, while the appreciation of his
skill tends to keep him where rs. Employ
ers come to expect nothing from him but
shorthand, except triding tasks, and he thus
works under the shadow of men who have
not devoted Tooth Of the time and labor he
has TO preparation. So the shorthand sticks
to him, holding him down to one position by
letters he has forged by his dex.erity
| once read an article In which it was
stated that if the same time, energy and ca
pabilities, which the attainment of steno-
graphic speed requires, were devoted to al
most any other promising pursuit, tho returns
would be far greater. With the resentment
of enthusiastic stulcnt, declared shat
the statement was the untimey offspring Of
a mind soured by failure and disappointment
The same may possibly be said of this article,
but after several years Of experience, meeting
such success as the calling affords, | am
constrained to say that tho writer knew
whereof he spoke and that the statement was
the legitimate offspring Of a mind not soured
DuI " ti9tipE'oiiltillciiu. w no ever
heard of Il stcnographer scribblng himself
into great wealth OF distinctions Dickens
was q shorthand writer but that did not win
his fame. Who knows of any brown stone
front grazing fashionable neighborhood
: solely because a man trailed pot hooks in a
note book! But there is a mansion whose
very shadows are beautiful that rose from tho
holnely butter, eggs and lard of yonder
grocery, and there are scores of others whose
foundations sprang from equally humble pur-
suits Tho stenographer may build stately
air castles upon possible speculations or somo
Independent business, but he hasn't time to
perfectly plan his projects or to work up his
determination, so he keeps on plying his pcn
the opportunities pass, his courage to branch
out for himself wanes, and the castles dema-
terialized, stand before him in tantalizng
grandeur
The general belief seems to be that short
hand writer is equal to any amount Of labor
Because he can record language at high
speed, it is supposed this rapidity extends to
everything lie does, whereas it takes him as
long as any one else to write in longhand. 1t
seems sometimes if employers believe that
stenography is sort Of elixir that renews
the strength and charms away fatigue,
or that, as q reward for tho pro
digious labor of its requirement, some
benefcent spirit had revealed the location
of the fountain Of perpetual youth. The
truth is, however, that few pursuits arc moro
wearing and enervating. In taking down"
q rapid speech from dictation-and hero tho
stenographer gets no mercy-there is weak
ching tension upon the mind, eyes, ears and
hands; indeed every faculty must be keenly
nlivo to hear and remember, while writing
the words already spoken, what the speaker
is saying in advance of him; and if it is an
important matter, i'll which mistake might
DO disastrous, the reporter feels as if, like At
las, he were bowed under the burden of tho
world No one but q stenographer knows
what it is to be overwhelmed by an avalanche
of words.
Few employers are Intentionally hard upon
shorthand clerks, but they do not think what
weary drudgery transcribing notes is. To no
clerk will whim or Acknowledgement entail
as much work as to the stenographer. have
written many pages, and after hurrying
through have seen them lie unused for days.
and finally destroyed. heard a man dictate
circular letter, for which he had a sort of
mania; then coolly order the stenographer to
make l25 copies-not produce them by mani